BuzzFeed’s VP of Design on effective management and company culture that empowers

In this episode, Cap Watkins, the VP of design at BuzzFeed, explains how to apply design to any business challenge, what managers can do to create a more productive environment, and how companies can create a culture that empowers their best people.

The job of a designer, according to Watkins, is to “make everything a little grayer.” Rather than focusing on only one facet of design, he explains the significance of branching out and making sure the roles are a little less defined in an effort to promote better understanding and communication within an organization.

On the topic of organization, Watkins breaks down a concept he recently explained in an article he wrote on organizational structure. Rather than looking at an organization as a pyramid with the CEO on the top, he suggests flipping the preverbal pyramid to help create a more effective management structure that supports instead of dictates.